Our take on catering: the interactive crudité experience

Kitchen Wishes Takes on Raw Vegetables — Between Invention, Play, and Sharing

As a true Tuscan, born and raised in Florence, I’ve always loved the concept of pinzimonio —
that explosion of flavor and freshness when you dip crisp vegetables into a medley of sauces.
It lifts your spirits, brings back your smile, and revives your mood.

The colors of fresh vegetables are pure art.
The way you slice and arrange them creates landscapes and sculptures,
and the choice of dip can trigger unexpected symphonies of taste.

The Art of the Raw

The Kitchen Wishes team dove into the vibrant world of raw vegetables thanks to the experiments of our chef, Giulia, at Libreria Brac in Florence — a local landmark for innovative vegetarian cuisine.

From there, the idea found its place in our creative catering projects.

It all started with something simple:
we wanted to serve a salad you could eat with your hands.

The invention that followed became today’s Recipe That Doesn’t Exist:
Kitchen Wishes’ Special Crudité.

Vegetables composed like a symphony — or a painting —
changing with the seasons, the cuts, and the textures.

A kind of edible mandala that reflects the person who creates it.
Because here, the creator is not the chef — it’s the guest.

A Game of Creation

From there, the leap to a true interactive live cooking performance was natural.

At our catering events, we now include a crudité station as part of the finger food experience.
The vegetables are cut and arranged like small islands —
tiny, colorful worlds — right in front of the guests.

They can choose to receive a pre-designed plate,
or compose their own, picking colors, textures, and shapes.

Even the plates come in different forms and colors,
allowing each guest to build their own personal food installation.

The possibilities are endless:
more sauces, more vegetables, more combinations.

Children especially love the chance to choose, mix, and play —
to create before they eat.
In one word: to play with food.

So… What’s the Chef’s Role, Then?

The chef, in this case, becomes the conductor —
the one who brings harmony to the ingredients:
the baritone bell pepper, the tenor spring onion, the soprano carrot.
Together, they form an edible orchestra.

And the conductor’s baton, for Kitchen Wishes,
is our deliciously simple signature sauce:

Kitchen Wishes Hummus

Ingredients

• 500 g cooked chickpeas
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 garlic clove
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 fresh chili pepper
• 2 cooked beets
• 1 small glass of olive oil
• Salt to taste

Preparation
Rub the chickpeas in water to remove the skins.
Blend all ingredients cold until smooth.
Serve in a bowl with toasted sesame seeds and a squeeze of lime.

Dip your raw vegetables in it — and play!

PS

Our parents always told us not to play with food.
They were wrong.

Play is an act of love — and playing with food is the best way to love it.
Let’s play with food!